Strategic bomber Tu-160M2
Among high-ranking commanders who visited the Kazan Aviation Plant named after S.P. Gorbunov on the day of rolling out the prototype of the long-range bomber Tu-160M2, and commander of long-range aviation of the Russian Air-Space Forces, Sergei Kobylash. "This aircraft is the first one produced within the framework of the strategic bomber reproductive program," - explained the lieutenant general.
The aircraft will begin flying in the next year, presumably from February, after all the necessary ground tests are completed. According to the military leader, after the factory tests, the experienced Tu-160M2 will leave for Akhtubinsk, where the airport of the 929th State Flight Test Center (SFTC) of the Defence Ministry is located.
If the tests confirm the compliance of the sample with the claimed requirements, a permit will be issued to commence the serial production of such aircraft. The Russian Defence Ministry plans to completely replace the existing fleet of strategic Tu-160 bombers with modernised missile-carrying vehicles of a new model. According to the information of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation, the mass production of Tu-160M3 at KAPA can begin in 2020-2021. It is assumed that there will be produced fifty such aircraft. "I know that there are certain plans that suggest that these cars will soon arrive to us, into long-range aviation, and will step into combat duty," - said Sergei Kobylash.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation continues to carry out a program of bringing the previously constructed aircraft of this type to the Tu-160M variant. "All Tu-160 aircraft, which are now part of the long-range aviation of the Russian Air Force, will undoubtedly be completely modernised. Given such rapid reproduction and the technologies available to date, I think that this will happen in the coming years," - explained the commander of long-range aviation of the Russian Air Force.
Taking into account the completed construction of the prototype of the M2 variant, the total number of assembled Tu-160 aircraft reached 36, including one glider that was used for ground tests. Recall that the first prototype went on a flight in the distant 1981. Today Tu-160 with a maximum take-off weight of 275 tons (weight of the structure - 110 tons) remains the world's largest military aircraft which has been in mass production.
The November rollout of a prototype of the updated bomber made corrections to similar arguments. The industry has found the strength and resources to accelerate the process of resuming production of the Tu-160. It's good that there are enough spare parts in the storages that can be used on the first sample of the Tu-160M2. Last summer, Deputy Defence Minister, Army General Yury Ivanovich Borisov told reporters that KAPA has restored the ability to produce new aircraft of this type, and that the company is welding on the next glider.
For their part, the responsible persons of the UAC and KAPA noted that the process of setting up the production of the Tu-160M2 is supposed to be carried out in several stages. It was said about investing about five hundred million rubles in the restoration of the factory production line. The corresponding project is conducted in such a way that technologies and production equipment will fit not only for the production of the Tu-160, but also for the completely new Advanced Aviation Complex of Long-Range Aviation (AACLRA) being at the design stage.
In short, Tu-160M2 will serve as a kind of transitional type between generations of domestic strategic bombers. Let us recall the recent words of the former commander of the Russian Air Force, and now the head of the Duma defence committee Viktor Nikolayevich Bondarev: "AACLRA is not a matter of immediate prospects ... The project to create new long-range bombers is being implemented actively, according to plan. But still the beginning of their adoption into service is scheduled for 2025-2028, and before that they must still be tested. "
An important component of the Tu-160M2 effort is the production of all on-board systems required by serial aircraft, supplied by KAPA assembly plants. There was information that the internal filling of the aircraft would be updated at least 60%. In particular, modern multifunctional indicators will occupy the place of the pointer devices in the cockpit of the pilots. Great changes are coming in the navigation and sighting complex and so on.
In parallel with the production of Tu-160M2, aerospace force of Russia continue to upgrade the existing fleet. Today in the long-range aviation there are sixteen Tu-160s, including five cars in an updated form. Several aircraft took part in the war on terror in Syria, destroying the objects of the so-called "Islamic state" with cruise air-to-surface missiles of the type X-555 and X-101.
Maintenance of the Tu-160 fleet in good condition requires great efforts of the enterprises belonging to the United Engine-Building Corporation. We are talking about the repair repair of NK-32 engines, which form the basis of the bomber power plant. Their release ceased in 1993, and in the new century, it was repeatedly reported that there were a shortage of serviceable engines. However, the Ministry of Defence and the industry have taken timely steps to organise the overhaul of previously released copies of NK-32. In addition, an updated version of the engine, known as "NK-32 of the second series", was created. The improved hot part with the increased resource and fuel consumption reduction by 10% was found on it. So far, there is no exact information, did the customer accept the first batch of NK-32-02. Earlier, Deputy Defence Minister Yury Ivanovich Borisov told reporters about six motors, the delivery of which was initially expected last summer, but was postponed to the end of 2017 - early 2018.
Air tanker Il-78M-90A
Tu-160 airplanes are an air component of Russia's nuclear triad, and each such aircraft entering service provides a significant boost to the forces of nuclear deterrence. As for the tanker aircraft, they do not strike the enemy themselves as strategic bombers. At the same time, the fleet of "air tankers" is an important part of the means of supporting combat aviation, significantly increasing its technical capabilities. So, the combat radius of the Su-30MK export fighter (weight of about 18.8 tons empty, the maximum fuel reserve - 9640 kg of fuel) due to one refuelling in the air increases from three thousand to 5200 kilometres. Interacting with air tankers, strategic bombers acquire an almost unlimited range of flight, and the ability to cause not only missile, but also bomb attacks, strikes against targets at any point on the surface of the planet Earth.
How dangerous for the US national security is the presence in Moscow of an aviation grouping of supersonic missile carriers and refuelling aircraft shows the example of 1976, when negotiations on the reduction of strategic offensive weapons were over in Geneva. The prepared text of SALT-2 suited all parties, and Washington expressed the desire to quickly sign it. However, "suddenly" reconnaissance reported on the successful test flight of Tu-22M2, in which, thanks to one refuelling in the air, the serial car demonstrated the possibility of increasing the practical range up to seven thousand kilometres. In a moment, the "euro strategic" bomber turned into a "serious threat" to the US coast, its carrier-based ship formations and numerous military bases scattered around the globe.
The former calculations of the overseas politicians crumbled like a house of cards, and they had to go on to review the compromise that had been reached earlier. The text of the agreement was altered taking into account the newly introduced condition for dismantling the refuelling bar and limiting the mass production of the Tu-22M at the level of thirty cars per year. In addition to the Tu-22M2, the main "culprit" of such a development of events can be considered a heavy oil tanker Il-78, the design of which, too, then it became known from intelligence sources.
And this past month brought information about the completion of the construction of an experimental IL-78M-90A - the first Russian specialised refuelling aircraft of the next generation. On November 29, the car number 0201 left the final assembly shop of the Ulyanovsk Aviastar-UP plant and headed for the company's flight station. According to the idea of the military and aircraft builders, the IL-78M-90A will become the main type of the aerospace force of Russia tanker, adding and then replacing the former Il-78 and Il-78M vehicles built in the Tashkent aircraft factory.
According to industry plans, the aircraft will perform the first flight at the beginning of next year. Construction and testing of this machine is carried out under a contract concluded with the Ministry of Defence of Russia to conduct experimental design work to create a "prospective airplane-tanker". There is no firm order for serial IL-78M-90A models. At the same time, industry representatives have repeatedly expressed the existence of a certain "preliminary order" for thirty cars.
The construction of a pilot aircraft began in 2014, and a couple of years later, a press release of AK "IL" on the completion of the formation of the glider 0201. The vice president of the UAC and the general director of the JSC "Ilyushin" Alexey Rogozin said about him: "The air tanker will differ from its predecessor a modified wing, new engines and a control system. He can carry more fuel. A distinctive feature of this aircraft is its convertibility. After removing the fuel equipment, it can also be used as a military transport aircraft. New unified overhead charging units will increase the rate of refuelling of aircraft in the air. "
The IL-78M-90A has two tanks for fifty tons of fuel installed in the cargo cabin, as well as three systems for refuelling aircraft in the air. Two of them will be placed on the wing and one - mounted on the tail of the fuselage. Taking into account the wing tanks, the new tanker can transport 126 tons of fuel.
Since the "Flying Tanker" is made convertible, it can also be used as a military transport aircraft. Accordingly, the IL-78M-90A retained the tail ramp and equipment for landing. At the request of the customer, if necessary, the IL-78M-90A can also be equipped with fire extinguishing equipment.
The new tanker uses the platform of the Il-76MD-90A military transport aircraft and, in fact, is a special modification of the base vehicle. The power kit of the tanker includes a reinforced sealed frame in the tail section of the fuselage. Power plant - four turbojet engines of high degree of two-contouring PS-90A-76 developed by OKB Aviadvigatel. When taking off, two take-off modes can be used: "maximum" with a thrust of 14.5 tons and "maximum elevated" with a thrust of 16 tons. In comparison with the D-30KP Rybinsk engines on the IL-78M, the specific fuel consumption of Perm is lower by 12-14%, and the thrust is higher by 33%.
According to the idea of designers and military, Il-78M-90A is prescribed to become the main type of "winged tanker", adapted for refuelling in the air of long-range, front-line and special aircraft. It allows for simultaneous refuelling of two fighters (Su and MiG family) using fuelling units installed on the wing. With a similar device mounted on the tail of the fuselage, it is possible to refuel long-range and special aircraft. In addition, the IL-78M-90A can pump fuel and when parking at the airport, while filling up to four aircraft.
History of the Il-78 previous modifications
IL-78 represents a special modification of the military transport aircraft IL-76, the development of which began in the experimental design bureau under the leadership of Sergei Vladimir Ilyushin, and ended after the appointment to the post of General Design Bureau OKB Heinrich Vasilyevich Novozhilov. The Il-76 prototype took off in 1971, and five years later it was decided to start work on an air tanker with a "hose-cone" filling system. An important part of the corresponding program was the development of a "unified suspension aggregate filling station", which ended in 1983. It was created by the research and production enterprise "Zvezda" located in the village of Tomilino near Moscow, headed by Gai Ilyich Severin.
The experimental car first went to the sky on June 26, 1983. As a platform, the IL-76MD, which had been flown a couple of years earlier, with high for that time load-carrying capacity was used - with a maximum take-off weight of 190 tons, it had a payload of 48 tons. Externally, the air tanker can be identified by the presence of three ORPA-1: two units were attached under the wing brackets, and one more - on the side of the tail section of the fuselage. In addition, the experienced eye could distinguish between the options of a tanker and a truck along the outline of the tail section of the fuselage. Instead of the rifle installation (a pair of quick-firing cannon GSH-23L caliber 23-mm) was the cabin of the operator of fuel equipment.
The main differences were hidden inside the fuselage. In the belly of the aircraft there were a couple of additional tanks for aviation kerosene containing 23460 liters of fuel. If necessary, the tanker could be quickly turned into a cargo plane "on its own". This was achieved by removing two tanks from the fuselage with the help of the LPG-3000A winches and airborne equipment of the aircraft.
The serial production of the IL-78 air tanker was deployed in Uzbekistan at the Tashkent aviation plant in 1984, and proceeded in parallel with the launch of the Il-76MD. However, soon the design of the tanker had to make significant changes. In 1987, the Il-78M appeared with a maximum takeoff weight increased to 210 tons, with a reinforced landing gear. In addition, the designers managed to reduce the weight of the airframe by five tons. Including - by removing part of the on-board equipment, which became "unnecessary" as a result of the refusal to convert the tanker into a cargo aircraft. Accordingly, the IL-78M does not have a sealed cargo cabin, and the pressure drop and temperatures are maintained only in the cockpit, in order to ensure its vital activity when flying at high altitudes.
Instead of two tanks inside the fuselage IL-78M, three non-removable cylindrical tanks with a total capacity of 36 tons of aviation kerosene were placed. The total capacity of the tanker (and additional containers included in the fuel system of the aircraft) increased by 7%, from 118 to 126 tons. Instead of the refuelling unit, ORAZ-1 installed PAZ-1M with an increase in productivity by 12% - up to 2900 litres per minute.
The transition from Il-78 to Il-78M was expressed in a difference of 25 tons between the weight of an empty equipped airplane and its maximum take-off mass. This gave a significant "addition" in the amount of fuel transferred to refuelled aircraft at a given distance from the aerodrome. The improved tanker could transfer 60-65 tons of aviation kerosene at a distance increased by 800 km, and 32-35 tons at a distance increased by 1500 km compared to the figures for the original version.
Operation in the troops confirmed the high declared characteristics of the Il-78 and Il-78M, which allowed sending three old-fashioned types to retirement. Namely, bombers, converted into "flying tankers": Tu-16N aircraft designer Andrei Nikolaevich Tupolev, M-4-2 and 3M-3 Vladimir Myasishchev. At the same time, a single type of new air tanker now served not only long-range aviation, but also a growing number of air defence interceptors of the country and front-line aircraft of the air force equipped with fuelling rods. To date, the IL-78 / 78M continues to be the only type of specialised refuelling aircraft in service with the Russian Air Force.
In total in the period 1984-1991. The Tashkent aviation plant built 45 Il-78 and Il-78M. Then, at the beginning of the new century, the enterprise collected six more Il-78MKI for a foreign customer. The suffix in the name of this aircraft is deciphered as "modernised, commercial, Indian". This model represents the top of the development of the line of tankers in Tashkent built. In addition, it marks a return to the idea of a "convertible tanker", capable, if necessary, of carrying loads of up to 48 tons.
Refueling of Mirage-2000 fighters of Indian Air Force from Il-78MKI
The original Il-78 and the improved Il-78MKI have a fuel system with wing tanks with a total capacity of 109500 litres and fuselage ones at 36000 and 42800 litres respectively. At the turn of the refuelling of 1000 km the first can transfer up to 69.2 tons of fuel, the second - 74 tons, at the turn of 2000 km - 50 and 56 tons respectively. IL-78 has a resource of 35 years or 6000 flights / 8000 flight hours, and IL-78MKI - 10,000 and 30,000 respectively.
When the Indian Defence Ministry was again concerned about the issue of replenishing the fleet of air tankers, it spoke in favour of the European Airbus A330 MMRT. However, a more thorough analysis showed the advantage of the Russian proposal on the IL-76MD-90A platform. Among the factors in favour of a change of opinion is generally called the positive history of the operation of the Il-78MKI. A firm contract is expected after acceptance of the updated tanker for armament of the Russian Air Force.
Meanwhile, in the world market of weapons and military equipment there is a shortage of supply for specialised fuelers of the brand "IL". The effective demand of third countries is partly met by the "from availability" technique. Thus, Algeria purchased six "second-hand" IL-78s. Due to a lack of supply for special-purpose vehicles, individual countries have to be satisfied with the "self-made" conversion of military transport aircraft. Even in the time of Saddam Hussein, Iraq independently redesigned Il-76MD, and Pakistan in 2009-2012. acquired four Il-78MP in Ukraine.
At least one Il-78 went to the Celestial Empire, and was probably used as a model for copying. According to reports from selected Russian sources, the Chinese side asked to demonstrate to it the procedure for refuelling Su-30MKK / MK2 fighters in the air when they were received from the aircraft manufacturer of this type built for the PLA Air Force. The buyer's request was granted. Due to the termination of the IL-78 in Tashkent and the deficit of this type of aircraft in the secondary market, China decided to create its own tanker based on the localised version of the Tu-16 bomber. Today pilots Su-30MKK / MK2 and other aircraft of the front-line aviation of the PLA Air Force work out refuelling from tankers under the designation HY-6. However, according to the tactical and technical characteristics, the products of Chinese masters are much inferior to the basic IL-78, and, even more so, to its improved versions.
Undoubtedly, rolling out an experienced IL-78M-90A "warms up" the interest of foreign buyers to this topic. And if the flight tests are successful and the aircraft will be accepted for service by the Russian Air Force, then foreign orders for serial production will not take long.
New production in Ulyanovsk
The production of transport Il-76MD-90A tanker and Il-78M-90A (with -project "476") is organised in Ulyanovsk "Aviastar-UP" - one of the largest centres of Russian aircraft industry. The size of the production area of the company is 4.5 million square meters, the number of employees is more than ten thousand people. In terms of occupied territory, this is the largest aircraft factory in Russia and one of the largest in Europe. Seven years ago a large-scale program of technical re-equipment of the enterprise was launched. It includes the purchase, installation, commissioning and commissioning of hundreds of new machine tools and machining centres of domestic and foreign production.
Today the "476" program gives about two-thirds of the company's load. A contract is being fulfilled for the production of 39 heavy military transport aircraft Il-76MD-90A in the interests of the Russian Defence Ministry. The first machines have already been delivered to the customer, and several others have been transferred to other UAC enterprises as platforms for the creation of special-purpose aircraft.
Last month, a meeting was held on Aviastar-UP on the theme of military transport aviation (MTA). Its participants noted that the plant was undergoing a "sufficiently active reconstruction" to ensure the uninterrupted serial production of IL-76MD-90A and its variants. "For us, the key customer is the Russian Ministry of Defence. Cooperation with the military department is very close, "said the UAC Vice President for Transport Aviation Alexei Rogozin.
The meeting participants talked about the significant deferred demand in the segment of military transport aviation, which was formed due to the obsolescence of the existing fleet of transport aircraft. Accordingly, the challenge for the UAC is to meet market needs and, above all, the needs of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation in transport aircraft of the next generation. In addition, geopolitical changes also require the replacement of An aircraft with Russian ones.
Meanwhile, the experienced IL-76MD-90A performed its first flight in 2012. For a number of reasons, state joint tests of the aircraft are delayed. The updated schedule assumes their completion in 2019. However, several of the Ulyanovsk assembly machines are already in the army, giving military pilots the opportunity to get acquainted with the advanced equipment and trained to its ownership.
In the meantime, military pilots are eagerly awaiting new aircraft, they are invited to fly some more time on the modernised ones. Tested Il-76MD-M, which is an improved version of the Il-76MD, modified according to the tactical-technical task aerospace force of Russia. Innovations worked on a modernised military transport aircraft will be introduced and air tankers Il-78 and Il-78M. Modification of IL-76MD-M features a new flight control and navigation system, lighting, airborne transport and household equipment, means of communication and self-defence. Among the additional equipment is an optic electronic sighting system with optical and thermal channels.
